Convertible freight-car.



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CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT CAR.

PLICATION HLED APR 4. 19!].

A 1,230,484. Patented June 19, 1917..

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g N I 1 A. J. HOWD.

CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT CAR.

APPLICATION FILED APRA. |9|7..

1,230,484. Patented June19, 1917.

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A. I. HOWD.

CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT CAR.

Patented June 19, l9I7.

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CONVERTIBLE. FREIGHT CAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. I917.

Patented J uhe 19, 1917.

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CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT-CAB.

S ecification of Letters mm.

Patented June 19, 1917.

Application filed. April 4,1917. Serial No. 159,311

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVAHA J EWEL'HOWD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nampa, in thefcounty of Idaho and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Freight- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to convertible freight cars, and more particularly to that class of stock cars which consists of freight cars provided with means to convert a car into a double deck stock car, said means being so placed as to permit of being folded out of'the way when not in use, in order to reconvert the stock car back into a box car.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a convertible car of the character set forth with means attached thereto whereby the car may be converted into a-double deck stock car without theuse of any additional parts other than the double deck attachment. A still further object of the invention is to provide a means for removably supporting a second deck in position within a car.

A further object of this invention is to provide an attachment adapted for use with any box car in order to convert the same into a double-deck stock car. 7 i

A further object is to construct a .car'of the character set forth which will be capableof withstanding wear and tear and to support the deck sections in such a manner as to prevent any danger of slipping from place thereof and falling on the stock below.

With the foregoing and otherobjects in view as will from time to time hereinafter appear, this invention consists in the peculiar arrangement and combination of the various cooperating elements of a convertible freight car as hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 7 i

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a portion of this specification and in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever used,

Figure 1 is a perspective partly broken away, showing one end of a car embodying the preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section, partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a detail transversesection with the deck in position;

Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section showing the deck in position;

Fig. 5 is a detail section of a portion of the deck mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective;

Fig. 8 is a transverse section through the deck arrangement showing the operation thereof; and

Fig. 9 is a similar section showing a further step in the operation.

The car is of the usual box type comprising sides 10 andll and having sills 12, 13, 14, carrying uprights 15 and 16 and corner posts 17. This construction is the ordinary type of box car and forms no portionof the present invention, but cooperates therewith.

Each of the uprightsl5 and'l6 is pro vided adjacent its vertical 'center'with apertures 18, and the interior of the car has on either side a longitudinal rail 19, 19, located a slight distance below the apertures 18. Above each of the rails 19 is a second rail 20, each of which carries hinges 2lsupporting thereon deck-forming members 22 and 23, the deck member 23 being provided adjacent the hinge 21 with a slot 241 corresponding to a slot 25 cut out of the rail 20 and alining withthe opening 18. 'A flange 26 is secured to the door 23 by means of bolts or other suitable fastenings 27 and has a function which will be hereinafter set forth.

The door 22 carries a longitudinal slot 27, adapted to receive a bolt 28, the head 29 of which lies inacut-out portion 30 formed in the door- 22 an'd'extending the length of the slot 27.. The bolt 28 passes through the slot 27 and-is provided with the usual nut 81 adapted to be'locked in position by a cotter 32 which nut confines the bolt 28 within a slot 33 formed longitudinally in the top face of a T-beam 3 1v provided at its outer ends with notches 35.

The T-beams 34 rest in the apertures l8 18, the notches 3535 abutting against the side walls 10-10 and the lower edge of the T-beam seating upon the rails 1919, thus preventing any slipping of'the T-beams.

' The adjacent deck-members overlie the T-beams 34- and are supported transversely thereby, the flange 26 covering the longitudinal meeting edges thereof in order to form a continuous deck and a longitudinal supporttor the deck members 2 :3.

As an additional transverse support for the edges of the deck members adjacent the car ends there are provided a pluralit -J of members 42 carried by straps 4:3 upon the car wall, the members having hooked ends it which take under the deck sections and serve to support the same. In order to provide for an entrance way to the car interior by using the usual doors when the removable deck is in position the deck member 23 adjacent the door opening has hinged there to at 36-3T a member 38 of sutiicicnt length to bridge the distance between the T-beams adapted to be placed in position in the uprights which form the door jambs Z3839, the deck member 22 adjacent the opposite side of the door opening having a similar member E0 hinged thereto at tl. thus leaving the side walls tree at the door opening. The free ends of the members :58 and it) rest upon the adjacent T-beams 3t and are supported thereby.

The operation of the structure above set forth is as follows:

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the mechanism has been placed in such position as to form a double deck stock car. hen it is desired to remove the upper deck in order to use the car as an ordinary box car the deck members 23 are raised slightly shown in Fig. 8, and the notch 35 upon that end of the T-beam 3st disengaged from the lower edge of the aperture 18 and from its seat upon the rail 19, and slid outwardly through the member 18 by means of the slot which permits a travel of the beam along the bolt 28 until the opposite end of the beam 34 is released from the opening 18 and its seat upon the rail 19, as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 9.

The T-beam 39: is now shifted longitudinally of the car, the bolt 28 sliding in the slot 27 formed in the door 22. thus permitting the T-beam to be moved bodily lengthwise of the car, the portion thereof remain ing in the opposite aperture 18 acting as a pivot. When the beam has been shifted a. sulticient distance to permit of the with drawal of the opposite end from the ap erture 18 this is done by means of the slot 33 when the entire beam can be swung around to a position parallel to the sides of the car, and as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9. when deck member 22 is allowed to swing downwardly upon the hinges 21 into the position shown in Fig. 2, the deck member swings down into the position also shown in Fig. 2.

The members 38 and 40 are also swung ,lownwardly from their respective hinges and folded in behind the deck members upon which they are carried. The removal of each of the T-beams is the same with the exception of those near the door, these being provided with a longer slot 33, in order to permit these beams to be slid to the right or let't ot the door opening in order to clear the same for the removal of the contents of the car.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing trom the spirit of my invention, and 1 therefore do not intend to limit myself to the specific form shown and described.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A freight car comprising side walls, removable deck members carried by said walls, means carried by said deck members adapted to cooperate with saidwalls to support said deck members.

2. A freight car comprising walls, a plurality of deck torming members carried by said walls, a plurality of supports carried by certain of said deck forming members, and means on said walls adapted to cooperate with said supports in order to hold the deck members in proper position.

3. A freight car comprising walls, a series of deck forming members pivotally mounted on said walls, a plurality of supports carried by certain of said deck forming members, means carried by said walls adapted to cooperate with said supports, and means carried by other of said deck forming members adapted to cooperate with said supports and the deck members carrying said supports.

at. A convertible freight car comprising a plurality of walls, a plurality of deck forming members mounted on said walls, a plurality of supports carried by certain of said deck torming sections, said supports being pivotally and slidably mounted thereon, means carried by said walls adapted to cooperate with said supports, and means carried by others of said deck forming members adapted to cooperate with said supports and the support carrying deck forming members.

5. A convertible freight car comprising a plurality of walls, a plurality of deck forming members mounted on said walls a plurality of supports carried by certain of said deck forming sections, said supports being pivotally and slidably mounted thereon, means carried by said walls adapted to cooperate with said supports, means carried by others of said deck forming members adapted to cooperate with said supports and the support carrying deck formin members, and additional means carried by said Walls adapted to support certain of said to form a continuation of the deck adjacent 10 deck forming sections. the door openings of the car.

6. In a convertible car the combination of In testimony whereof I aflix my signature a plurality of W%HS,1Of defck forming mernin presence of two Witnesses. 5 bars thereon, a p ura ity 0 supports carried by said deck forming members adapted to ALVAHA JEWEL HOWD' cooperate with said Walls to support said Witnesses: deck and hinged sections carried by cer- F. L. BRoWNE, tain of said deck forming members adapted J. K. MOORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

